Apparatus for predirecting and launching torpedoes



J. H. HAMMOND, JR.

APPARATUS FOR PREDIRECTING AND LAUNCHING TORPEDOES,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 19l6- RENEWED JULY 6. 1922.

1,431,143. Patented Oct. 3, 1922.

INVENTOR WITNESS COMP. NR 205 Patented Get. 3, 1922.

warren snares FFEQE.

APPARATUS FOR PREDIRECTING AND LAUNCHING TORPEDOES.

Application filed March 20,1916, Serial No. 85,367. Renewed m e, 1922. Serial No. 573,187.

To all. whom it may concemt:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HAYS HAMMOND-,..

Jr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city ofGloucester, county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Predirecting and Launching Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

Some of the ob ects of this '1nvent1on?areto provide an apparatus for pre-directing and launching torpedoes, improved means for transmitting motion from a periscope or other sighting or aiming device to the steering means of a torpedo to pre-direct the torpedo; to provide improved 'means for disconnecting the motion transmitting means from the torpedo; to provide means for automatically launching or firing the torpedo after the torpedo has been disconnected from the periscope or other sighting or aiming means; and to provide other improvements as willappear hereinafter.

In-the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation partly in vertical section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention, for predirecting and launching torpedoes; and 'Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of thisinvention comprises the usual or any suitable torpedo tube 25, which may be lined in any suitable position either upon a movable body such as a torpedo boat, or other movable support, or upon any suitable stationary support. Slidably arranged within the torpedo tube is the usual or any suitable torpedo sleeve or carrier 30. In the form shown, the sleeve includes two coaxial tubes 31 and 32 which are-rigidly connected by radial partitions or braces 33.

A torpedo 35 is sli'dably arranged in a well known manner within the inner tube 32 of the sleeve 30. This torpedo 35 may be of any-well known or suitable construction, and in the form shown, includes the usual or any suitable outer casing or hollow body portion 36 which is provided with any well known or suitable means (not shown) for propelling the torpedo. through the water after it has been launched, and with any well known or suitable means (not shown) for steering the torpedo laterally.

The torpedo 35 is also provided with any well known or suitable means arranged to,

cooperate with the steering means, and in elud ng a gyroscope, or other suitable direc:

tion maintaining means (not shown) for" automatically. causing the torpedo to assume and to be maintained upon a substantially fixed predetermined course after it has been launched.

In the-form of this invention shown, the

gyroscope or other direction maintaining means for automatically steering the torpedo,1s arranged in a caslng 39 fixed in the torpedo, and is provided in awell known manner with a rotatably adjustable direction determining element o-peratively connected to and arranged to .be icontrolled .by a stem 40 which projects upwardly through the upperend of they casing 39, and which is rotatable about an aXis fixed with respect to the casing 39 and coincident with the longistem 40, the direction determining element y be djusted in any desired position so I as to cause the torpedo to assume and to be maintained substantiallyupon any desired substantially straight'fixed course after it has been launched.

For predir'ectin the torpedo 35 by rotate I '75 I tudinal axis of the stem. By rotating the rotatively supported ina bearing 44 rigid with the casing 39, and is thus arranged to rotate. about an axis fixed with respect to the torpedo 35 and coincident with-the longitudinal axis of the spindle. The outer end of thespindle lies within the shell 36 of the torpedo andis provided with a diametrical slot 45 in which fits snugly but 'removably'a fiat lug or key 46 which is rigid with the inner end of a cylindrical shaft 50 which is coaxial with thespindle 43 The inner portion of this shaft-5O projects snugly I but rotatably through apertures 51, 52, 53- and 5t'provided therefor inthe tubes .25, 31 and 32and torpedo shell 36; The; outer portion of the shaft 50 is rotatably sup.-

ported in a fixed bearing which is rigidly. secured tothe torpedo tube 25 by. inwardly diverging arms 6.

For pre-directing the torpedo 35 while in ZOmanually, a knurled cylindrical knob 1 10v its'tube 25 by rotatively adjusting the shaft is rigidly secured to the .outerend of the shaft 50. Coaxial with and rigidly secured to the knob 65 is a dial or disc 66 provided on its periphery with suitable graduations, and pointer or index 67 is fixedly secured to the bearing 60 and has-a free end overlapping the disc 66 and arranged to cooperate with the graduations thereon to indicate the adjustment of the shaft 50 and consequently of the gyroscope or other direction maintaining means within the case 39 carried by the torpedo.

For pre-directing the torpedo while in its tube by rotatively adjusting the shaft as'the result of the movement of a sighting device, such for instance, as a perisc'ope, telescope, or other device, a p nion.

-70 is snugly but Yslidably mounted upon the outerportion of the shaft 50 and is loosely engaged by an idler gear 76 arranged to roarranged in a recess?- 1 provided therefor in the fixed bearing 60. The pinion 70 is held against rotation. with respect to the shaft 50 by" means of a key carried by'the pinion and arranged to slide in an elongated keyway in the shaft 50, the construction being such that the shaft 50 may be adjusted rotatively'by the action of the pinion 70,

and the shaft 50 may be reciprocated in the direction of its longitudinalaxis through the pinion 70 while the pinionis heldagainst movement in the sam'e'direction by the walls'of the recess 71. The pinion 70 is tate in either direction about a fixed axis and actuated by a'driving gear 77 rigidly secured on the spindle 78 of a fixedly arranged reversible electric motor 79.

For energizing and controlling the mo tor 79," an annular gear is arranged to rotate'in a fixed plane about a fixed axis, and within and secured to this gearv is a cylindrical ring 86 of electrical insulation,

within and secured'to which is a cylindrical ring of conducting material which is divided diametricallyby two opposed-strips 87 and 88 of insulationforming two approximately. semi-circular segmental contacts 89 and 90.

Arranged to 'rotatecoaxially withfthe gear 85 is a spindle 95 which'is held against longitudinal movement and which carries conducting arm 96 insulated, as at 97 from the spindle'95 and carrying at its free end a yielding contact 98 arranged to'slidably engage. alternately the" segmental contacts 89 and The two segmental contacts '89 and 90 are connectedby-wires 1'10 and 111- to the opposit espoles of areversing switch- 4 112 of a .well known construction which controls the current from the'source 11 1- of direct electric current through; conductors 115 and 116 to the motor 7 9 to operate the motor in either direction. The reversing switch 112 is provided with a return wire 117which l'eads to one pole of a battery 118, the other pole of which i's'connected by a wire-119 to a switch 127 and to a stationaryelectrioal.

repeater 130 of any' well known or-suitable a pinion 131 which engages and actuates the construction which rotates about a fixed axis annulargear 85 to cause the gear to be always rotated in unison with and to the same angular extent as'the shaft50, and in a'direction correspondingto the direction of I rotation of the shaft 50.

' For rotating the'spindle in eitherdirecti'on and to any extent desired, an upwardly facing bevel gear 135 is rigidly secured-to the upper end ofthe spindle 95 and is engaged by a bevel pinion 136 which is rigidly secured to the inner end of a cylindrical shaft 137 which is arranged to rotate freelv about a horizontal axis coincident with its: longitudinal axis in a bearing 138 rigid with a vertically arranged rigid yoke 139 which is arranged to rotate freely about a vertical axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of-the spindle 95. The outer por- ,tion of the shaft 137 is provided'w'ith a handle 14:0.whereb'y the shaft 137 may be conveniently rotated 'ma'nu'ally' The yoke '139has fixed thereon'an index orpointer 141 which travels over a stationary graduated segmental plate 14:2"to indicate the exact position of the yoke at all times, and also yieldingly presses against the plate 142 to hold the yoke in a fixed position during'the.

operation of the device.

The lower arm of the yoke 139 loosely surrounds'the spindle 95, and the upper arm of the yoke 139 carries a downwardly, facing bevel gear 145 which engages the bevel pin- 1011 136 and which 1s arranged to rotate with respect to the yoke 139 about a vertical axis -coincident'with the axis of rotation of the upwardly facing bevel gear 1.35. The periphery of the downwardly facing bevel gear .145 is provided with parallel teeth forming a spur gear 146 which is engaged and actuatedby a pinion 147 which is arranged to rotate about a fiXGCl'VCltlCitl-ZlXlS and which is rotated .in either direction about that axis by a. stationary electricalrepeater 150-of a 'w ell'known construction. This repeater y is rotated in 'a well' known manner in "response to energy through an electric cable 151, and switch 152', lead1ng from aprimary stationary electricaltransmitter 155 of any well known or'suitable construction, to which suitable manner,

rotary motion may be transmitted in any In the form of this inventionillustrated,

rotary "motion is transmitted to the primary electrical transmitter 155 and thence eventually to the automaticdirection maintaining means 39 of the torpedo through the rotary action of a periscope or other sighting instrumentality 160 which is of well known construction. and mounted upon-the usual or any suitable support 161 carried by and having a universal movement with respect to the torpedo boat or other carrier 162'which drives a pinion 163 fixed upon a rotary shaft 164 by means of which rotary motion is transmitted to the electrical transmitter 155, which is'held in a fixed position with respect to the support 161. A graduated disc 165 surrounds and is rigidly secured to the periscope' 160 and is arranged to cooperate with an index or pointer 166 fixedly secured to the support 161 to indicate the exact position of the periscope. c

For withdrawing the adjusting shaft from the torpedo 35 and torpedo carrier 30, and then immediately thereafter automatically launching or firing thetorpedo 35 from the tube 25, this invention provides electrically controlled pneumatic means including a fixed cylinder 175 extending beneath and parallel to the shaft 50, and provided with a piston 176 arranged to reciprocate therein and rigidly secured to the inner end of a piston rod 177, which extends from the piston 176 outwardly in a direction parallel to the shaft 50. Rigidly secured to the outer end of the piston rod 177 and extending up wardly therefrom is a rigid arm 178 which is provided at'its upper end with a yoke 179 which engages loosely in an annuiar recess 180 provided therefor in the outer portion of the shaft 50 and embraces the shaft 50 in such a manner as to prevent the rotation of the arm 178 about the axis of the piston rod 177.

The shaft 50 is normally held in its innermost or operative position, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, by means of latch or .lever 185 which is arranged to swing about a fixed axis on a pivot 186 carried by the lower arm 61, the latch 185 being arranged to project through a slot 187 in the arm 61. When the shaft 50 and the latch 185 are both in their operative positions,- the upper end of the latch 185 engages in an annular recess 189'provided therefor in the shaft 50 and prevents the withdrawal of the shaft.

For actuating the latch 185, the lower end of the latch restsslidably against and is movable upwardly independently of the upper end of a vertical piston rod 190, the lower end of which is rigidly secured to a piston. 191 arranged to reciprocate in an auxiliary cylinder 192 which is fixedly secured to the main cylinder 175' The piss ton191 is normally held in its lowermost position by a spiral spring in the cylinder 192. The latch1185 is held either inits operativ'efor in its inoperative position by means of a spring pressed catch .195 having a conical upper end which is arranged tov engage a pointed lug 196 rigid with" the lever'185i' The upper end of the auxiliary cylinder 192 is provided with an auxiliary port 194 to facilitate the movement of them piston and to provide an outlet for the inner end of the main cylinder 175 as will appear hereinafter.

For releasing the latch 185 and then mov ing the piston 176 outwardly to withdraw the shaft 50, the lower end of the auxiliary cylinder 192 is arranged to communicate through an inlet 'pipe198 with the interior of a fixed'valve casing 199 which surrounds and is controlled by a reciprocatory cylindrij cal piston valve 200 and which is arranged to communicate through a supply pipe 201 with a tank 205 orother source of supply'o'f compressed air. ,From a point just above the piston 191 when in its lowermost position, and below the piston 191 when in its uppermost position, the auxiliary cylinder 192 communicates through a pipe 206 with the inner end of the main cylinder 175, the arrangement of the pipe 206 being such that the piston 191 will have to be moved upwardly througha distance suffioient to release the latch 185 from the shaft 50 be fore the piston 191 uncovers the pipe 206 and permits air to .fiow'fron the pipe 198 through the lower end of the cylinder 192 and into the pipe 206. The outer end of the main cylinder 175 is provided with an exhaust port 210, and thevalve casing- 199 is provided with an exhaust port 211.

The valve 200 is provided at its inner end with a collar 212 and is normally pressed inwardly by a spring 218. The valve 200 is also provided withan annular recess 215 so arranged that when the valve is in itsv outermostposition, as shown'in Fig. 1, the outer end of the main cylinder 17 5 and the lower end of the auxiliary cylinder 192 will be free to exhaust through the pipes 210 and 198, annular recess 215, and exhaust port 211, andthe supply pipe 201 willbe closed by the valve 200, but when the valve 200 is in its innermost position as determined by collar217 fixed upon the valve 200, then the lower end of the auxiliary cylinder 192 will be in --communication with the source of air supply 205 through the pipe 198, annular recess 215 and'supply pipe 201.

The valve 200 is normally held in its outermost position by means of a spring pressed soft iron detent 220 which forms the core of a fixed solenoid 221 in which it is arranged to reciprocate, the outer end of the detent being beveled. and arranged to vided therefor in an extension of the valve 200. The opposite ends of the solenoid 221 are connectedto wires 225 and 226 which form a circuit extending througha battery 230 or other source of electric energy, and

,anormally open switch-231 preferably arto fire or launch the torpedo immediatelyafterthe shaft 5O has been Withdrawn from the tube 25 and movedinto its outermost position, a lever 240 is arranged above I 250 from a pipe 254 leading'f'rom'the source the shaft 5O to swing about 'afixed horizontalaxis ona pivot'241 extending through one end of the lever 240 and carried by a projection 242 extending upwardly from the bearing 60. Rigid with and --extending downwardly from the lever 240 is a lug 245 havinga' conical or tapered-lower end arranged to engage freely in an aperture 246 provided therefor in the bearing 60 and to press against the shaft This lug is so arranged that when the shaft 50 is in its outermost position, the lower end of the lug will fall into the annular recess 189. The free end of the lever 240 is provided with a longitudinal slot 247 which snugly but slidably surrou'nds a pin 248 rigid with the lower end of a vertical rod 249 which is arranged to reciprocate vertically in a fixed valve case 250. -Rigidly secured to this rod 249 is a bar 251, and surrounding the rod 249 between the valve casing 250 and the bar 251 is a compressed spiral spring which presses the rod 249downwardly. The bar 251 is rigidlysecured to and actuates" a valve 253 which reciprocates vertically in the valve casing 250 and controls the flow of compressed air'entering the valve casing of air supply 205' or other suitable source,

. and issuing from the valve 'casing 250 through a pipe 255 leading to the inner end of the torpedo tube 25 and through which air is forced into the inner end of the torpedo tube to launch the torpedo in a well known manner.

In the operation of this improved predirecting and launching mechanism, assuming that the torpedo 35 has been placed in tube 30'with the igyroscopic steering mechanism' set in a zero-position and with the adjusting shaft 50 connected, as shown-in Fig. 1 with the zero graduation 'of'its dial 66 opposite its pointer '67, then, with the switches 120, 127 and 152 of the transmission'apparatus open, the periscope 160 is first rotatively adjusted into such a position that the zero graduation of'its disk 165 registers with the pointer 166. The yoke 189 is then rotatively adjusted into-such a posiyoke is permitted to be held in a stationary position by the pressure of the pointer 141 upon the plate142. The; contact arm 96 is then-rotatively adjusted so that its yielding contact. 98 rests upon the insulation 87, after which the switches 120, 127' and 152. are

closed.

i If,now, the p'eriscope 160 should be rotated in either direction through a given arc, it will cause thegear 146 to rotate through an equal arc, while the yoke ,is held in a fixed position by the pointer 141, thus causing the rotation of tliegoar 135 through an are equal to the arc of rotation of the gear 146 but in an opposite direc tion, This causes the arm 96 to be rotated so that its yielding Contact98 will move from r the insulation 87 and make contact with one of the segments ,89 or 90, thus causing the operation ofthe reversing switch 112 in such a manner as to cause the reversing motor 79" to rotate the shaft 50 in the proper direction. The motor 79 continues to rotate until it has caused the gear to be rotated by the transmitter 125 and repeater 130, through the same angle as the arm 96, whereupon the contact 98 will again be on the insulation 8'? and the motor 7 9 Will-thus be-caused to stop. By means ofthe gears 42 and 41, the gyroscopic setting mechanism. will be caused to move in synchronism with the periscope so that whenever the torpedo is launched it will automatically assume and maintain a course:

or direction of movement substantially parallel to the line of sight of the periscopei If, however, it should be desired to have. the torpedo assume and -ma1nta1n a' course any given number of degrees either to the right or to the left of the course indicated by the periscope, then, before the torpedo is launched, a suitable initial rotary adjust nient of the contact arm 96 may be made by rotating the handle l40leither in one, direction or in the opposite direction as theca'se may be, the gear 146 being held stationary by the repeater 150 during thisv operation,

and a rotation of the yoke 139 through a half a degree being sulficient to rotate the contact arm 96 through a full degree and to predirect the torpedo a full degree either to the right or to-the left as the case. may

be of avcourse parallel to the course indicated by the'periscope in any position into which the periscope may-have been turned after such adjustment and before. the launching of'the torpedo. i

After the torpedo has been thus predirected, bythe aiming or training of the eril scope, and it is desiredto fire or launch the torpedo from its tube, it is onlyv necessary for the operator to close the switch 231 thus causing the energization of the solenoid 221-, thus releasing the valve-200 which is moved to tl evleft by the action of spring 21-"), thus allowing air to pass from the-pipe 201 to pipe 198 and enterthe cylinder 192. This forces up the piston 191 which causes the lever 185 to be disengaged from, the annular recess189. The air then passes through pipe 206 to the inner, end of the cylinder 175, forcing the piston 176 to the right, which causes the shaft 50 to be disengaged from the torpedo and more to the right out of the path of the torpedo and its sleeve 31-32. The lug 245 then drops into the annular recess 189, thus allowing compressed air to pass through the valve casing 250 and to enter into the inner end of the torpedo tube 30 and to launch or fire thetorpedo 35 from the tube 25, with the gyroscopic steering mechanism carried by the torpedo so adjusted as to cause the torpedo to assume and to be maintained upon a course predetermined by the periscope at the time of launching.

It is evident from the foregoing that the I apparatus or transmission means" between the shaft 50 and the periscope 160 might be rendered inoperative by opening the switches 120, 127 and 152, or might be entirely omitted, and the torpedo might then be predirected for any desired direction by rotating the knob 65 manually, after which by closing the switch 231 the shaft 50 would be disengaged from the torpedo and the torpedo automatically launched, as hereinbefore described.

It is also evident that in case of the failure of the solenoid 221 to performits funcin case it is desired to disengage the shaft 50 from the torpedo without discharging the torpedo, the latch 185 may be released manually by lifting the outer end of the shaft from the piston 190, and the shaft 50 may then be disengaged manually from the torpedo.

Although only a single form has been shown in which this invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this in vention is not limited. in its application to any specific construction, but might be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described this invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a support, of motion transmission means for adjusting the steering means of a torpedo while said torpedo is carried by said support, means for locking said. transmission means engages means for disengaging said transmissionv means from said torpedo.

3. The combination with a support, of motion transmission means arranged to adjust the steering means of a torpedo'while said torpedo is carried by said support,

means for locking said transmission means.

in operative engagement with said steering means, fluid' 'a ctuated means for disengaging said locking means fromsaid transmission means, and fluid actuated means the admission of fluid to which is controlled by said first-mentioned fluid-actuated means for disengaging said transmission'means from said torpedo.

4c. The combination with a support, of

longitudinal axis and longitudinally 'movable for adjusting the steering means of a torpedo when said torpedo is mounted on said support, an element arranged to move into and out of locking engagement with said shaft to lock said shaft inoperative engagement with said steering means, fluid actuated means provided with a fluid outlet and arranged to disengage said element from said shaft, and fluid actuated means means including a shaft rotatable about its I arranged to receive fluid from said outlet 7 for disengaging said shaft from said steering means after said element has been dis engaged from said shaft. 1

5. The combination with a support, of motion transmission means arranged to adjust the steering means of a torpedo while said torpedo is carried by said support including a shaft rotatable about a fixed axis arranged to reciprocate in the direction of said axis, an element arranged to move into and out of locking engagement with said shaft to hold said shaft in an operative position, fluid-actuated means for. releasing said element from said shaft, fluidactuated means arranged to receive and to be actuated only by fiuidreceiving through said first-mentioned fluid-actuated I means for releasing said shaft from said steering means, and means including a valve controlled by the longitudinal movement of said shaft forejecting said'torpedo from said support in response to fluid pressure.

6. The combination with a support, of

' movable sighting means, motion transmismeans for adjusting the steering means of 7 two elements rotatable opposite directions sion means controlled by said sighting means for adjusting the steering means of a torpedo while said torpedo is carried by said support, said transmission means including two elements rotatable about a common axis supporting means, and means rotatable wlth I respect to said supporting means and earned thereby and arranged to transmit motion from one of saidvelements to the other ot'said elements, said supporting means being normally held in'a stationary position but being rotatably adjustable about said axis to vary the angular relation between said elements a' torpedo while said torpedo is carried by said support, said transmission including about the same axis, a support, a, member rotatable about an axis fixed with respect to said support for transmitting motion between said elements, said support being normally held in a stationary position but being rotatably adjustable about said firstm'entioned axis, 'an' electrical contact carried.

by one of said elements, a pairof segmental contacts rotatable about said first-mentioned axis and arranged to be alternately en= gaged by said first-mentioned contact, a reversing switch, three circuits connected to said reversing switch respectively with said contacts, one of said circuits including a source of'el'ectr'ical energy, a motor controlled by said swltch, means for energizing said motor, and means controlled by said motor for rotating said segmental "contacts about said first-mentioned axis.

Signed at New Yorkcity, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 15th day of March, A. D., 1916.

JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, JR. 

